Americans’ Support for Marijuana Legalization Hits All-Time High

The Associated Press and University of Chicago worked in conjunction on a survey regarding Americans’ stance on marijuana. The results of that survey show that record-high 61-percent of the U.S. population supports marijuana legalization. The question has been asked the same way for several years, and the support has increased 3-percent in the last 5 months.

The same survey, conducted in October 2015, showed marijuana legalization support at 58-percent, according to The Washington Post. The question asked to survey participants was, “Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?”

The Associated Press went a little further with follow-up questions. The results of follow-up questions show support at 24-percent for medical marijuana. One-third of survey participants support a “no restrictions” approach on purchased amounts of marijuana. Some disagree as 43-percent say that restrictions on purchase amounts should be limited.

Marijuana Majority member Tom Angell says, “This is yet another demonstration of just how ready Americans are for the end of marijuana prohibition. The growing level of support for legalization that we see in poll after poll is exactly why we’re now in a situation – for the first time in history – where every major presidential candidate in both parties has pledged to let states set their own marijuana laws without federal interference.”

Support by party is broken down as:

Democrats support marijuana legalization by 70-percent

Republican party members show support at 47-percent

Independents rank high at 65-percent support

The results of the survey could not have come at a better time. The UN is holding a special session next month that will discuss mainly drug reform issues. It also comes during one of the most exciting presidential campaign seasons in over a decade in the U.S.

Developments toward society forcing the government to finally end prohibition are coming from within its own walls. The U.S. Supreme Court denied hearing a case against Colorado regarding Nebraska and Oklahoma fearing that marijuana would filter into their states in larger quantities.

In President Obama’s time in office, support for marijuana legalization has increased by 44-percent. That makes an impactful statement to which other governments are paying attention to.